New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-27
THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN.
prv.N.s HISTORY OF ISRAEL.


n Remains second book deals with tine life of
JoraeI in Canaan down to the establishment OF the
tinodom of David Much of the record OF the
Canaanitish con0uests be considers fabulous as 10
tho detail lie would place the death of Moses be-
fore The period gwen in the Old Testament books,
holding that he had disappeared when the ap-
nroacb 10 the land of Moab was MADE ono
orrd If tina theory il that the book of. the Wars
of Iahv6 makes no mention Of Moses III the Dat
Ties against Sihon and Og. and lie thinks that
if the old text had held 10 the existence OF
Moses at this time Z" some miraculous
intervention IN the battles, as at Rapbidim, would
have been ascribed to him." The early successes
of Israel over the Moabics. Amorites and Others
offer saVs NJ. Renan, some cause for astonlshucht
because Of the sharp contrast i'll manners ana
proves involved by them. Neither III the pa'f-
archal period nOr during the solourn in Egypt had
the Jews Narlikc labits. At the time OF 'he
Judges they often showed themselves weak against
their neighbors. Later, If we except the snort
period of Saul and David, the qualities dcvc'opeo
by Israel are by 10 means those of the warrior
ONO 10 tempted TO believe that the mill
tarv superiority displayed by thls pald
of fugitivcs from Egypt over the
peoples of the Jordan region spraug from the
Tcyptian element in their ranks, especially IN the
case of Moses W no must be considered almost an
Fpvptian and whose role really was rather that OF
n chief like Abd-el-Kader than that of a prophet
ike Mahomet Perhaps their arms were better thah
those of the peoples they encountered. Among par
barans the least element of civilization gives the
tribe possessing it immense advantages over
those which have only tie poor tools inherited from
the past" ThisIeasoning shows how difficult II Is
TO account for the progress OF Israel on purcly
materialist grounds, and how many important
.t,, fpiic to HptQv
The conquest of Canaan proceeded. not steadily,
Int by iiis and starts There were long periods OF
remuneration and rest succeeded by fresh adj
vances Meanwhile The birth Of the nation seemed
deferred As yet Israel was an aggregation OF
tribes fcebly held together by the hascent federal
principlc but being gradually forced into closer
relations and frmeI conference by the hostility or
all the surrounding peoples and the CROWN OF tAa'
anthropororphic religion which was to transform
Iahvc INTO national deity formed on the narrow
tribal model In the extension of their c"nque'ts
TOO the people of Israel came 10 regard every new
access of the lust of acquisition ms
divine authorization or command. these pas
sionatc old races says NJ. Renan, did not
distinguish between desire and duty. The Moabite
KING Mesa made no conquest unless his god Camos
ordered It, Ii is probable that in the same way the
national god lahv6 commanded the passage or the
Jordan to the lsraelitcs, BY signs which they hcli
decisive, The wars which followed did not neces-
sariy separate the cOmbatants thenceforth. rs I'M
placablc enemies Even when the lSraelites Lad
snbdued a country. the original inhabitants often
continued to I've side by size with their conquerorS
much as the Ravas do to this day among the lurhs
who have robbed them If their patrlmony. Nor
was tbs prevented ny the fcrocty of the prevail
Ing warfare. THAT which was equal on bo;h
sides" SAYS NJ Renan. twas the cruelty All
ant omtv was cruel. IT saw IN cruelty an
advantage too great TO be fOTcgonc. FeronV is
one OF the forces of barbaranS; they conquer by
the fear their atrocities inspire. One OF the essen
tial points of the Carhaeinian strategy was the
terrorzlng OF the enemy by torture The custom OF
amrutatinc the thumbs and great toes of the van
pushed was common among the CanaanltcS.
As to tic Isiaetcs if the texts are trustworthy,
their cruelty was dictated by religious motive,
by a kind of moral puritanism, revoltcd by the
crimes of the indigenes. But without doubt that IS
an exagreratlon Of the later historians. 1t
does not appear that the invaders had at
first any plan of determination; later this
policy was adopted a plous programme.
commanded by lahv6.7 When. later. the greatest
atrocities. wholesale massacres. including women
and children s0meimes, came TO be pcrpeTated
the b!oodthirStDess OF the national Getty kept
pace with that OF the people, and &" terrible eX-
amples are related of the vengeance visited bY
the god upon those who shrank from the fulfil
mcnt of their saugunary vows against the hea-
then" NJ. Renan concludes this chapter thus
II do not know whether Joshua Is more historical
" real than Jacob. But assuIedly the mid
Jacob would have occn shocked could he have
witnessed a number of tie deeds of Joshua. af
terward held 50 glorious. Jacob, on his deathbed
is said 10 have carsed Simeon AID Levi for mis-
Ceincanors which. compared 10 those OF the CON
quest would pass for moderate TcpTlsalS."
VI. Rcuan makes short work of the great miracle
ascriOed To joshua; the legend grew he says, ont
Of one OF the common popular songs composed IN
celebration Of a victory, in which the most hyper
bOcal expressions were custOmarliy employed. The
poet wished to convey the idea that the prodlgies
wrought bv the Israetes were such "a to stupcfy
and parllyze nature This rhetorical figure
casoned later singular misapprehenslOns.' The
verses were put in Joshua's mouth. and in falsify
lug the meaning OF the word which expressed
"stOpped still III amazement" it was concluded
that the sun eicctuay stopped at the order OF the
commander In a foot-note VI. Renan adds The
verb damam means to be silent, 10 be stricken
with stupor, TO remain motonless IN amaze
ment. sometimes to cease The mlsunderst and
ing is created in the fifteenth verse by the substi
tuition of amad which means virtually to stop
for the poetic and metaphOrca verb.
/ The establishment of Israel in ( he northern parts
of Palestine was, according to NJ. Renan, slow.
A long time elapsed bet ween the passage OF the
Jordan and the day when tribe Of ASHER could
be spoken of seriously. The conquest really oc-
cuped two or three centuries; 1t was continual
struggle, the battle Of the iron pot against the
earthen one IN which the weaker was broken. The
book of Joshua, which ascrIbes the conquest of the
whole OF Palestine to great captain IS the least
historic of the books of the Bible II we except the
taking of jericho the establishment OF the
BeniamIltcs at Cibca, and the occupation OF
many citIes by the tribe of Judah, the conquests
attributed to Joshua, that pretended series OF
tremendous victories and monstrous extermina-
tons. have no reality 1t was during tins period
that the erection of 1ahv6 into national god
took place. In the DESERT" says NJ. Renan.
"Iahve is still only a god of nomads, landess